Cup for refrigerated commodities



July 17, 1951 A. ZISKA cuP FOR REFRIGERATED COMMODITIES Filed May 51', 1946 INVENTOR.

BY (7 I Patented July 17, 1951 CUP FOR REFRIGERATED COMMODITIES Adam Ziska, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignor to Samuel M. Kaufman, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application May 31, 1946, Serial No. 673,697

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in cups for a refrigerated commodity.

Heretofore, numerous attempts have been made to design a satisfactory coin-controlled vending machine for a commodit such as icecream which requires refrigeration. In these devices, as heretofore proposed, it has been customary to support the filled cups in stacked relationship so that the bottommost cup may fall by gravity into the discharge chute in response to operation of the coincontrolled mechanism. However, due to the fact that the compartment within which the stacked cups are located must be maintained at a temperature below freezing, and due to the fact that a certain amount of moisture is necessarily contained in the air surrounding the cups, it has been found that condensed moisture will often cause freezing of the lower end or bottom rim of one cup to the cover of the cup therebelow. When this occurs, the bottommost cup will be restrained against falling by gravity, and the machine will fail to deliver merchandise.

It is a general object of the present invention to obviate the above mentioned objectionable feature by providing an improved cup and method, suitable for use in connection with vending machines, the cup being so constructed as to permit the use of a series of adjacent cups in a refrigerated chamber while materially limiting the amount of contact between the juxtaposed parts to prevent one cup from objectionably adhering to the cup thereadjacent.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved cup as above described which is so constructed as to permit the vertical stacking of cups in the machine while materially limiting the amount of contact between the bottom of one cup and the top of the cup therebelow.

A more specific object of the invention is to accomplish the above purpose by means of one or more projections from or protuberances in the bottom of the cup which project below the lowermost edge portion of the bottom rim, said protuberances preferably being embossed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction as above described which makes it possible to employ standard cup manufacturing procedures and machinery with the addition of embossing mechanism.

A further, more specific object is to provide in one form of the invention, a cup-bottom having a single central projection furnishing the sole contact with the cover of the cup therebelow, the projection extending a predetermined distance below the lowermost edge of the bottom rim.

Thus, said rim is maintained in a sufficiently elevated position to eliminate the possibility of adhesion.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved cups for a refrigerated commodity, and all its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating two embodiments of preferred forms of the invention, in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view through a guiding tube of a vending machine showing several icecream cups supported therein, parts of the cups being broken awa and shown in vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of one of the cups alone;

Fig. 3 is an elevational View illustrating several superimposed cups and incorporating a modified form of the invention, parts being broken away and shown in vertical section; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through one of the cups taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig.3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with cardboardcups of the Dixie Cup type. These cups are commonly used in the vending of individual servings of icecream. The invention may, however, be applied to cups of other types and shapes, to cups formed of materials other than cardboard, and to cups used for any purpose wherein they must be stored in contacting relationship in a freezing compartment.

The cup illustrated comprises a tapered side wall portion 8 which is circular in cross-section. During manufacture, the upper portion of the side wall may be rolled to form an internal annular shoulder 9 and the extreme upper edge is beaded as at Ill. The usual fiat cardboard cover II is adapted to be pressed into position to seat on the annular shoulder 9. The lower edge of the cup is preferably folded upwardly as at l2 to form a bottom rim with an upwardly opening circular recess for receiving the downwardly flanged circular edge l3 of a cardboard bottom M. The construction just described is more or less standard and may be varied without affecting the novel features of the present invention.

As a part of the improved method, before the bottom members M are inserted in assembled position during manufacture, they are suitably fabricated to provide a projection which will extend downwardly beyond the lower edge 2| of the bottom rim. Preferably, the bottoms M are embossed, through the use of any suitable die, to provide a depending projection or protuberance I5 which is substantially an inverted cone in shape. In the preferred form of the invention, only one such projection is utilized and it is centrally located as is clear from Fig. 2.

It is, of course, possible to use any selected number of projections such as the three projections illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

The projections may be formed differently or be of different shape than is illustrated, but the inverted conical shape is desirable as it permits a relatively deep embossing to be made without material which is circular in cross-section and rupturing the cardboard, and also provides for a minimum of contacting area at H and J8.

The single central protuberance is, of course,

preferred because it provides for a minimum,;of

contact between superimposed cups. When this arrangement is utilized, it is contemplated that.

thecups be supported for discharge irnthe vending machine in a vertical guiding tube 19 which is of such size as to. provide a small clearance at 29 between the edge of the bead i0 and the inner surface of the wall ofthe tube 19.

It is preferred to have the clearance about of an inch so that there is room for thecups to move freely downwardly by gravity without permitting. too muchtilting on the single protuberance.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs 3 and 4, the three depending projections 16 will furnish suitable support without permitting tilting and, therefore, the relationship betweenthe. size of the cups and the vendin machine tube,

l 9 is unimportantin this species of the invention.

It has been found that the three projections 01' protuberances i6 willproduce insufficient con-. tacting area at. 58 to interfere with the gravitate ing. movement of the bottommost cup even though there is a certain amount of, adhesion due to the freezing of condensed moisture.

Various changes, and modifications of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A stackof like cups for a refrigeratedcom-.

With this arrangement the cups may tilt sidewise only a short distance before a part of" which has atop rim, a bottom disc of fibrous material for closingthe bottom of said side wall,

said sidewallhaving a bottom rim portion proj'ecting below-said bottom disc and of a size to fit. loosely within .the top rim of a like cup, a removable cover of fibrous material, and means for: supporting said cover in depressed position within said top rim, said bottom disc having a projection which projects downwardly a greater distance than the bottom rim to support the latter. in: aposition spaced above'the cover of a like cup positioned therebelow when a plurality ofcu-ps is stacked.

3.v A stack of like cups for arefrigerated commodity each comprising a hollow body of fibrous material having a-cover and which. is circular in cross-section and which has a bottom rim, there being aflat bottom portion depressed within said rim, and at least one projection depending from said flat bottom portion with the bottomof the projection lower than thelower edge of said bottom rim and. engaging, the cover of the cup therebelow tominimize the possibility of frost.

adhesion between cups.

4. A stack of like cups for .a-refrigerated commodity each comprising a hollow body portion of fibrous material having a cover and having a bottom and having a bottom rim projecting below said bottom, said bottomhaving va-t least one protuberance embossed therein with the bottom of theprotuberance lower than-the lower edge of th bottom rimand engaging the cover of the cuptherebelowto minimize the. possibility of frost adhesion between cups.

ADAM ZISKA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 965,920 Mason Aug. 2, 1910 1,139,536 Klenk May 18, 1915 1,331,862 Claus Feb. 24, 1920 1,690,073. Kincaid Oct. 30, 1928 1,951,567 Spear, Mar. 20, 1934 2,005,245 Stover June .18, 1935 2,071,018 Becker et a1 Feb. 16, 1937' 2,156,574 Sidon May 2,1939 2,333,090 Carew Nov. 2, 1943 

